If COVID did one thing, it was to put the work at home movement into hyperdrive. Not only did the pandemic force people out of their offices and into their home dens or living rooms, but it also spurred more and more people to start looking for alternative work from home jobs. And then of course, with kids out of school for over a year engaged in remote learning, parents had to improvise. Enter work at home jobs! Some individuals opted to venture out on their own. They set up a website, did some basic marketing, and began their work from home venture that way. While others took to already established platforms to try and find freelance gigs and other such work at home opportunities. In this article, we look at how someone might get started as far as finding and/or launching their work from home career.
Join a WFH Company/Platform or Go, Solo?
When it comes to finding those wfh jobs, there are several routes you can take. The question is which work from home path is right for you? If for example, you are interested in finding something that offers benefits and has some stability, then working for a company that hires at-home employees might be your best bet. Whereas, if you have dreams of starting a work-at-home gig and growing that into something full-time in which you are your boss, you might look into creating your own business.
What are the pros and cons of each of these methods? As mentioned, being hired by a work-from-home company comes with potential benefits, more stability and they also take care of the details such as paying your taxes. If you decide instead to be your boss in terms of your work from home job, you have greater flexibility as you set your hours, determine which clients you want to work with, and have the potential to make more money quickly. However, there are drawbacks. You need to stay on top of your tax payments, and there is also no guarantee of an income. The money you make is based solely on how much, how quickly, and how well you work.
Another option might be to sign up for a freelance platform. Many people dipping their toes into the work at home pool will go in this direction. You create a profile (not unlike a social media profile/) and bid on the jobs that come up on the platform relevant to your area of expertise. With this method, the bidding can be pretty competitive, so keep that in mind, as things may start a bit slowly for you.
Where to Find those Work From Home Jobs
Most people when opting to work from home will stick to what they're good at. In other words, what is your background? Your education? What experience do you have? Venturing into a wfh job that has nothing to do with what you know can be risky it is very risky and inadvisable. When you apply for a work-at-home company or bid on a freelance job or pitch to a potential client, you need to lean on your skillset and your knowledge. This is ultimately what is going to land you your first work from home gig.
Also, in preparation for looking for work at home jobs, be it on your own or applying to a company, you definitely may have to update your resume to reflect your relevancy for a specific niche. You also might want to look into resources to help you write a more effective cover/pitch letters.
WFH Resources
Upwork. This is one of the most prominent (and popular/) freelance sites out there. Essentially you will set up your Upwork profile. They also allow you to upload examples of past work if, for instance, you are a writer or graphic artist. Upwork provides a jobs board that you can search through based on your criteria. You find a job that suits you and bid on that project. The platform also helps navigate the hiring and payment process between client and freelancer.
Thumbtack. A little different than Upwork, Thumbtack will match professionals with people seeking services related to what they do. Tending more toward labor and hands-on type projects (i.e. plumbing, construction, and home improvement/), Thumbtack is not as much work from home as it is, find projects from the comfort of your home and then put in your bid to do them. There is some wfh opportunities for the likes of artists and editors, but those aren't as prevalent as the manual labor positions available.
Etsy/eBay. If you are into arts and crafts, furniture making, or crocheting, you name it, then you might be able to set up shop on platforms such as Etsy and eBay and make some money that way. In essence, you are creating your work at home job as you establish your company and sell your wares.
Flexjobs.com. As with some of the other platforms, does have a membership fee that you must pay monthly to stay active. That said, as far as remote work and work from home jobs, this is steadily becoming a go-to site for many. The site is known for being genuine—in other words, no spam and no scams. And they offer a variety of opportunities across many different industries.
LinkedIn. Utilizing your existing network to try and find work from home jobs is not a bad idea. And if you are a member of LinkedIn, you are already a step ahead of the game. Don't be afraid to reach out to pertinent contacts. Maybe you even have some connections who have work at home companies and could potentially hire you on.
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